Garlic

Can Dogs Eat Garlic?

The Dangers of Your Dog Eating Garlic

We know how difficult it can be to have your dog running around the kitchen while cooking, eating at the dinner table, and so on. What happens when your pup gulps down some of your delicious dinner and you don’t know if it is safe? Garlic is in a lot of food, and luckily it is not dangerous in small doses. However, Large amounts can cause problems. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ASPCA, say close members of the onion family (shallots, onions, garlic, scallions, etc.) contain compounds that can damage dogs’ red blood cells if ingested in sufficient quantities. A rule of thumb is “the stronger it is, the more toxic it is.”

Garlic tends to be more toxic than onions, on an ounce-for-ounce basis. It contains sulfoxides and disulfides that can damage red blood cells and cause anemia in dogs. While it’s uncommon for dogs to eat enough raw onions and garlic to cause serious problems, exposure to concentrated forms of onion or garlic, such as dehydrated onions, onion soup mix or garlic powder, may put dogs at risk of toxicosis. The damage to the red blood cells caused by onions and garlic generally doesn’t become apparent until three to five days after a dog eats these vegetables. Affected dogs may seem weak or reluctant to move, or they may appear to tire easily after mild exercise. Their urine may be orange-tinged to dark red in color. A veterinarian should examine these dogs immediately. In severe cases, blood transfusions may be needed and there might be permanent liver damage.

The above-mentioned cons of garlic condition are very well known in the dog community. What is a little less known are the advantages of garlic consumption, IF GIVEN IN THE RIGHT PROPORTIONS!

When Can Dogs Eat Garlic?

Garlic is an inexpensive food additive that has significant positive effects on the dog’s multiple organ systems. Garlic enhances the secretion of gastric juice that aids in the digestion and promotes the development of friendly bacteria in the dog’s digestive tract. This pungent bulb acts as immune booster of dogs with low immunity by supporting the production of white blood cells. Diabetic dogs are greatly benefited by regular consumption of the right amount of garlic as it helps maintain the ideal blood sugar level. Raw, cooked or dried, garlic reduces cholesterol and triglycerides and aid in the detoxification necessary to purify the liver. Garlic has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. The Allicin component found in the root bulb has healing properties. Because of its healing property, crushed garlic will heal wounds, boils and skin disease after about a week of application. Garlic contains selenium, a powerful antioxidant that activates the enzymes that slow down the growth of cancer cells. Garlic effectively reduces parasite infestation. Garlic has a pungent smell that when ingested will be emitted through the pores and sweat glands. Fleas, ticks and mosquitoes’ sense of smell is over 10,000 times more sensitive than humans. You may not be able to smell the very personal garlic cologne of the dog but these parasites will surely be affected and would immediately scamper from the skin and fur of the dog. There will be no need to use the messy flea powder to eradicate the parasite infestation. You simply need to include a small amount of garlic to the dog’s home cooked meal.

Garlic has been highly valued for its medicinal purposes for thousands of years. The Egyptians, Babylonians, Romans and Chinese have used allium Sativum, commonly known as garlic for its natural healing properties. In spite of this fact, garlic is listed as one of the human foods that should not be given to dogs because of the previously mentioned threats. Thus, we recommend you only give garlic to your dog if your vet has mentioned that it can help with a specific issue that your dog is having. We suggest you do not give it on a daily basis and without consultation from a veterinarian. If you are giving your dog garlic, or food with garlic, as a treat, we recommend trying some nice fruits and vegetables instead. Your dog and his stomach will like it much better.

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I say to you, I certainly get irked while people consider worries that they plainly do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks

Awesome info! So right…we never even considered garlic in foods until our vet mentioned it. We now make our own food for our dogs (3 Belgian Malinois and A greater Swiss). Our vet recommended never more than a half a clove pressed in a 10lb batch of food (in our case, it’s the only portion of their food that’s “cooked). We roast it in the oven and then half the clove and press through 10lbs of a raw ground chicken, raw beef mix and then add eggs and rice. All our ingredients are free-range, antibiotic free, and organic. We went to this diet when Abby, our greater Swiss began having sever digestion and immune system trouble at 1yr! We’d always used natural pet food but Abby needed something with…well, a bit more love in it, I guess. The garlic was added in to the mix at the request of the doctor to aid in her digestion and assist with immune issues…and it’s made all the difference! The other dogs eat the same mix and they’ve done beautifully as well! So glad you’re helping give good info and educate owners! So much stuff out there that we don’t even think about can harm our pets!

This post was fair and balanced until the last paragraph, where you stated “only give garlic after consultation from your veterinarian”. Well, guess what? Not all vets are willing to accept that products that do not come from large pharmaceutical companies are willing to help your dog. If your vet is not willing to accept this, find a holistic vet, and do what is best for your dog.

I wouldn’t worry about it too much because dogs usually run into problems when eat pieces or whole garlic cloves. The trace amount your dog consumed will not likely do any harm. In fact, Bunk has had food with garlic as an ingredient on several occasions and he is fine…well he is still a mad-crazy-nutcase, but you know what I mean.

Good, informative article, thanks! I often get a little nervous when reading things that have no academic/scholarly reference, but I have done my research and know that it is pretty accurate. My dog, a 10-year old pug that currently weighs about 18-lbs was given a clove of garlic a day, when she developed a carnissial abscess (tooth). From my research, when the abscess opened (which it did in a day), the toxins in the abscess would go into her blood stream. For those that like downing and giving prescription drugs, an antibiotic would be similar. For my girl (dog), the garlic worked wonders. You DO have to be careful, and not all cloves are equal in size. To be safe, start small. You can increase over time. but it should NOT be something you just give them every day for maintenance.It can have a toxic effect, but if used wisely and in short-term, periodic doses, it does help. My girl is a part of my family, so as with a child in yours, be responsible, not reckless. All the Best, JD

Thanks for the reply. A lot of the foods we discuss are in somewhat of a grey area, but we will categorize something as “unsafe” if there is either a potential for harm. However, some foods, such as peaches, are fine for dogs except that the core is really dangerous. Therefor peaches are categorized as “unsafe.” Apple seeds, on the other hand, are similarly dangerous, but we classify them as safe because they are so ubiquitous in dog food and dog treats. They are also easier to manage.

Thanks for the info but i was wondering, my dog has been sick lately and i put her on a bland diet – rice, oatmeal and venison (boiled the fat out) and made a big bowl of this, then i took one medium sized clove of garlic and crushed it up and mixed it

should i be worried now and make a new batch of the bland food with out it or should that be ok. When i say sick she has lost most of her appetite and was vomiting stomach acid from not eating, but above it says it can be good for their stomachs? so i should be ok? i do have an app with the vet in 2 days but just wondering what you thought.

Unless you have experience with different kinds of dog food, or have a background in dog nutrition, I would hold off any making any serious modifications to your dog’s diet until you can see the vet. Because every dog is different, it is hard to say how the garlic will affect her. If she is so sick that you think she is vomiting and not eating, then maybe you should take a trip to an emergency vet. Hope everything works out, and let us updates as they come along.

It is a fallacy that small amounts of garlic is bad for dog. The bogus info came from a flawed study on onions,(which are bad for dogs). Assumptions were made because of the relation between onions and garlic, but garlic has an ingredient that cancels out the harmful effect that onion does not contain.

Is Garlic good or not good? I have a 14lb Rat Terrier and am using 1/3 Premium food NO CORN OR WHEAT from Trader Joe’s and home made chicken, Carrots, Rice mix with Cranberry’s and say a 1/4 of a small bulb of Garlic. It’s only been a week but I’m concerned. Is there any Data that Garlic is okay? Thanks for sharing. (* PS – he loves garlic LOL

This is an interesting article, there is so much conflicting information regarding garlic for dogs and the sale of garlic pills, gels, sprays etc in pet shops, which doesn’t help.

The American Journal of Veterinary research actually did a study which showed that, although dogs can tolerate garlic in small doses, (5g per kg), and showed no outward ill effects, garlic is not safe for them to eat:

“Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The constituents of garlic have the potential to oxidize erythrocyte membranes and hemoglobin, inducing hemolysis associated with the appearance of eccentrocytes in dogs. Thus, foods containing garlic should not be fed to dogs. Eccentrocytosis appears to be a major diagnostic feature of garlic-induced hemolysis in dogs.” (Am J Vet Res 2000;61:1446–1450)

I dont believe a word they say, this world is corrupted by money, so what good is bad for anything cause they will lose money. THINK!!!!!! Bandit is 5 years old now and hes eaten 4 cloves a day, hes healthier than a horse. Who you kidding????

And not all smokers get lung cancer. You’ve been lucky. Not all dogs are so fortunate. I work for a Vet, and have seen dogs that have to be put down because their owners feed them, you guessed it, garlic.

Garlic helped my dog tremendously when she had a terrible accident and developed a hematoma. 2 cloves a day raw organic garlic and my holistic vet agreed when I took her for a check up. There are charts out there for amounts per pound. Most of the drugs western vets give dogs are more damaging. people need to research to find better answers.

I was cooking and a piece of garlic fell on the floor and my dog ran and ate it. He is a miniature Dawson , what do I do? How can I pump his stomach ? I am devastated. I love my dog, I don’t want him to die. Please help me .

Garlic in moderation is okay for dogs, it is commonly used as a flea repellent for dogs. My girl gets 1 clove of garlic 2 days a week, she has never had any issues, and is happy in healthy. When feeding dogs you have to go on a case by case bases. Some dogs cant eat chicken, while other can. It is up to you as a dog owner to do your research, make your own opinions and consult a GOOD vet to make final decisions. Don’t form your opinions by what some articles may or may not say.

I have 3 Great Pyrenees and they get 5 grams (2 scoops) of Springtime powdered garlic in their canned food every evening for several years. They are mostly outside doge and have very few ticks per year and only a few fleas. Before the garlic I couldn’t let them in the house the fleas and ticks were so bad. I don’t like giving them drugs every month for this. I was using Trifexis, but at $75 a month it was too expensive. They are happy and don’t smell like garlic.

Hey, I have a 20lb Yorlie Shitzu mix named Turbo who I think has been eaten up by ants ant skeeter as he scratches and scratches and I can see the bites. No fleas, but have seen little ants crawling on him while laying on our patio. Do you think garlic would keep him from being eaten alive??? I dint want him exposed to things like flea collars, powders or the typical topical replants as he already has sensitive skin.